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Let’s Talk About Barn Fire Safety
Sad to say but lately there have been some barn fires in our area. In one – all the horses in that barn perished from smoke inhalation and in the other – the barn was lost but the horses were spared. This is all so scary. Our horses are boarded and there are people who live on the property so I hope and pray that if something ever happens, the horses can be spared also. But there are alot of horses on the property in two separate barns. I try not to put too much thought into the “what could happen”. NFPA.org has a nice checklist to keep on hand…
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Safe Trail Riding On The Roads
One of our absolute favorite things to do with our horses is trail ride. We have two thoroughbreds and two draft horses. They all have special characteristics that we know we need to watch for when riding. But ultimately we can only control our horse the best we can – we need to prepare for our surroundings and environment which is even less predictable. I wish I could say our horses are predictable but they are just like people – good days and bad days. So how can we best prepare for our trail rides to be as safe as possible? Always wear a helmet. Don’t get me wrong, I…
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DIY Equine (Horse) Insulated Water Buckets
This post contains affiliate links This is our 2nd winter with horses – last winter was pretty mild and there were a few days where I needed to deal with frozen water buckets in the stalls but not entirely frozen solid and not for more than a few days. This winter is horrid – absolutely horrid. The full 5 gallon buckets are freezing solid as a rock, in the barn, within 4 hours. Water troughs outside a definitely totally freezing. Trying to keep fresh water available for the horses has been a monumental task. All this and sometimes the pipes are frozen so just trying to fill anything with water…
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Equestrian Ribbon Display Solutions
This post contains affiliate links After a year and a half of shows – I really needed to come up with a storage solution for my kids ribbons. My daughter has wallpaper on her walls and the solution I used for my son was not working for her. His is basically a wooden dowel along the top of his wall and the ribbons are clipped on it. But the sticky backed hooks would not stay “stuck” on her wall and I wasn’t interested in putting holes in the wall. For the last three months her ribbons have been all over her room. It was frustrating because I knew she was…
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Winter Equine Terrarium – Dollar Tree Style
Last night I was searching for terrariums and I came across equine terrariums – and fell in love. I immediately knew I totally wanted to make one of these – now that I have made one I may just make more! This was fun, quick and thanks to Dollar Tree – inexpensive. Here’s what I used: A celebration bowl (terrarium) from the wedding section – plastic not glass Two bags or rocks for the bottom of the bowl – layer at the bottom of the bowl. The bags are two different sizes of rocks – the smaller size fills in between the larger size. Four bags of white sand (snow)…
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DIY Blanket Rack – No Hardware Needed
Last winter we owned three horses and living in New England – that means winter horse blankets. But not every day is cold enough to need these heavy blankets and sometimes the blankets get wet and need a way to dry off. So last year I spent my hard earned cash on three blanket racks that literally lasted ONE day! They were hunks of junk. Keep in mind two of the horses are drafts and their blankets are very heavy! This winter we own four horses – I was definitely not going to waste my money again. I sought not only a cheaper solution but a better solution. Last year…
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The Face of Horse Rescue – Freedom From Slaughter
Two years ago my daughter started riding horses. I didn’t think in a million years something like that would happen – you see, I have severe allergies to horses. BUT, modern medicine has changed and the drugs available today now make it possible for me to not only get near a horse but also own some. So almost a year to the day later – we bought our first horse in May 2016. As if one horse wasn’t enough – we bought two more in August 2016. That was supposed to be a one horse purchase but lo and behold – two! That is pretty much how our life…
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Améo Essential Oils and Equine Hoof Abscess
Horses cannot talk – contrary to what Mr. Ed spent years trying to make us believe. And, since they can’t talk we are often left trying to figure out exactly what is going on with them. This guy is my boy Thunder Fire Legend Ace – let’s just call him Ace for now. Ace can be a bit of a challenge. Without someone on his back he is the most gentle horse ever. If I let him, he will actually suck on my thumb without biting it. He finds that soothing for some reason – remember he can’t talk so I have no idea why he does…
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TEN Ways My Life Has Drastically Changed By Owning Horses
June 2015 our daughter started taking horseback riding lessons – from day one we said we will never buy a horse… September 2015 our son started taking horseback riding lessons – we said we will never buy a horse… December 2015 we started partial leases on two horses – we continued to say we will never buy a horse… May 1, 2016 WE BOUGHT A HORSE… August 2016 WE BOUGHT TWO MORE HORSES… For God sakes do not listen to a thing I say! Buying one horse was like having one child. It is a whole lot more work but manageable and you…
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Nothing Slows Me Down With Poise #PoiseMoment #ad
I am being compensated by Poise by participating in this campaign with the Mom It Forward Blogger Network. Have you have suffered from bladder leakage? Now that’s a great way to start a conversation… But for persons who struggle with this issue, it can really get in the way of normal activities. I knew early on in life that bladder control may eventually be an issue for me. My mother was active but way back then she struggled – even at a young age. I have fond memories of riding skateboards with my mother – catamaran style (yes she was that cool) and her laughing so hard she…
